Marek Zidlicky of the Nashville Predators skates during warm up prior to facing the Toronto Maple Leafs December 4, 2007 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

Andrew Brunette of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Pepsi Center on March 15, 2008 in Denver. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Andrew Brunette is officially back in Minnesota after the veteran right wing and Wild signed a three-year deal worth $7 million Tuesday afternoon.

“Andrew is a consistent offensive performer and an excellent teammate who helped create the culture of our team,” Wild general manager Doug Risebrough said in announcing the deal. “We are better, on the ice and in the dressing room, with him back. Not often do you get the chance to correct a mistake.”

Risebrough let Brunette leave as a free agent after three seasons in Minnesota, during which he was the monthly captain four times. In the 2003 playoffs, Brunette scored seven goals in 18 games as the Wild advanced to the Western Conference finals with seven-game victories over heavily favored Colorado and Vancouver.

In Game 7 of the quarterfinals in Denver, he scored the series winner against Patrick Roy in overtime.

Brunette was the Wild’s first free-agent acquisition of the free agency period, which started today at 11 a.m. CDT, but the team also acquired Nashville defenseman Marek Zidlicky.

Minnesota sent prospect Ryan Jones and a second-round pick in the 2009 entry draft to the Predators for Zidlicky, 31, who averaged nine goals and 35 assists in four seasons with the Predators. He was a minus-5 last season, but was plus-8 in the previous two.

“Marek is a top offensive puck-moving defenseman who will add tempo to our lineup,” Risebrough said. “He will complement a defense that is becoming more mobile and skilled, which we anticipate will make our team as a whole more offensive.”

Jones, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound right wing, joined Houston from Miami (Ohio) late last season and had a goal and assist in four playoff games.

Brunette will turn 35 next month, but he’s one of the NHL’s most durable players, holding the current games-played streak at 453. A 6-1, 212-pound winger who will dig pucks out of the corners and knock in rebounds, he has 191 goals and 358 assists in 788 career games.

Brunette played the past three seasons in Colorado, scoring eight goals and nine assists in 19 playoff games the past two seasons. In the regular season, he averaged 23 goals and 45 assists. Last season he was 19-40—59, second on the team in scoring.

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